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Social Engineering: the process of facilitating social situations to advantage. Hacking the wetware...
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Gay Marriage Law Repealed in California
(11/30/08)
Just when we thought that the nation was finally headed in the right direction, California no longer supports gay marriage. California.
Apparently, while everyone else was focused on making sure that Obama got elected, the religious right used the shift in focus to as a sabotage opportunity:
"Yes side sent certified letters to major donors threatening to "out" them in a press release unless they also contributed to the marriage ban."
In retribution, the "No" side is fighting back, and they are slinging the "Yes" side's own tactics right back at them. I guess nobody told the fundamentalists anything about living in "glass houses" should they decide to throw stones...
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Your Vote Doesn't Count
(10/28/08)
I normally respond to questions about who I'm voting for by snidely explaining that I was preparing to vote with my feet. I have long felt that my one single vote was of zero consequence and that the process was pointless. This was all before I had a chance to see things like the movie Recount, which is geared to point out that we do indeed have idiots in charge. The smart people all operate behind the scenes.
And now, as if to prove that the story told in Recount was most definitely not fiction, CNN brings us news of voting mismanagement both recent and historic.
So, now you have proof that your vote really doesn't count anymore.
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Everything Is My Fault This Week
(09/29/08)
That's right; it's my fault. All of it. Every last thing.
Stub your toe? Get a speeding ticket? Lose your job? Your wife? Your car? It's my fault.
You can rest assured that the misfortune life has seen fit to dump on your life is through no fault of your own. Point that finger squarely in this direction.
It's my fault.
And it will continue to be my fault until Sunday, at which point everything is Karo's fault, and you can blame him.
Some time soon, however, you have to take your turn; a whole week of being the cause of all our problems. You will be responsible for my network connection going on the blink, for spilling my coffee, and for preventing me from catching and fixing that bug.
Until then, you can blame it all on me.
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From The Church: Darwin Was Right!
(09/17/08)
In a bold move by the Church of England, a public apology to Charles Darwin (posthumous, of course) has been drafted and will be included on a website that they are putting together to promote his views. The Church. Promoting the views of Darwin.
This is what I would like to refer to as the writing on the wall for Christians, as in "did ya get the memo?"
In a rare show of insight, the Church also reflected: "Hey! This is just like that whole Galileo thing that blew up in our face!"
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Remixing Politics: What Took So Long?
(09/12/08)
Recently, a couple new startups began putting together sites with resources for collaborating on and sharing remixed political mashups ostensibly designed to encourage younger voters. [story on Wired]
While this is still a few shades away from the color I originally envisioned the remix/mashup scene, it can only be a matter of time before we say goodbye to the stale dramas that have been the mainstay of political dialog for centuries. Get ready for a new era of political power driven by the ability to motivate through entertainment. The position will eventually be granted to the politician who best crafts the memes that will drive their voters.
Get ready for MC POTUS, ladies and gentlemen...
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Web Security Not In Mossad Training?
(09/08/08)
After browsing around for information about the Mossad, I discovered that they have their own website:
Clicking the link to Contact them (as well as the link to Careers) goes to HTTPS and yields an invalid security certificate. Technically, I could add an exception for it and take a look, but I have a few reservations about making security exceptions for the Mossad, regardless of how off-radar I may be. Not really that big of a deal, but I'll let you check it out for me...
On further review, the Mossad site also provides a convenient list of current and former directors. They may not look very intimidating, but try to picture each of them asking you questions while an overzealous katsa ensures your attention and cooperation. Meir Amit even looks a bit like Bela Lugosi.
A treasury of tips for how to handle public speaking issues such as proposing a toast, delegating, making introductions, and handling meetings.
The largest site in the world on all aspects of how we change what others think, believe, feel and do.
The World's Top Intranets Put Social Networking and Collaboration ... Reuters - In alphabetical order, the winners are: * Altran, a large engineering and innovation consultancy (France) * Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), a developer of ... |
10 Things You Should Know NOW About ... Web 2.0 eWeek, NY - Security vendors expect more of the same in 2009, with attackers adding a touch of social engineering to infect users of sites such as MySpace and Facebook. ... |
Brickfish Appoints Social Media Expert Becky Carroll as Director ... Reuters - Carroll holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering/computer science from the University of California Berkeley and a Masters Degree in ... |
Business Wire (press release) | FIRST Robotics Competition is Underway Design News, MA - ... st century," FIRST advisor and MIT professor emeritus of mechanical engineering Dr. Woodie Flowers said at the kickoff. "In today's social environment, ... "Lunacy" Unveiled to 42000 High-School Students at 2009 FIRST ... |
20 UCI Professors Made Fellows of Science Association New University Online, CA - Faculty and researchers elected this year are scholars in the fields of natural science, physical science, social science, engineering and mathematics, ... Race: A Product of Environment |
2009 Sure-Thing Security Predictions: People Still Weakest Link eWeek, NY - If one thing is sure not to change in 2009, it's the fact that attackers will likely be using more social engineering methods than ever before - and more ... |